Join ARC at our annual Holiday Open House. Enjoy an assortment of delicious vegan cheese, non-alcoholic wine, and other beverages. Meet other people who care about animals and browse for animal friendly holiday gifts from our great selection of unique merchandise. Location is the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau, 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis from 1:00-4:00 p.m. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Join ARC at our annual Holiday Open House. Enjoy an assortment of delicious vegan cheese, non-alcoholic wine, and other beverages. Meet other people who care about animals and browse for animal friendly holiday gifts from our great selection of unique merchandise. Location is the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau, 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis from 1:00-4:00 p.m. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Join Shawn and learn how to make fun holiday foods, including raspberry beer bread. This is a demo class with sampling. Class is $12 for co-op members and $15 for non-members.Location is Mississippi Market, 1500 W 7th St. in St. Paul from 10:00 a.m. to noon. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/vegan-415/events/235882433/

Join Shawn and learn how to make fun holiday foods, including raspberry beer bread. This is a demo class with sampling. Class is $12 for co-op members and $15 for non-members.Location is Mississippi Market, 1500 W 7th St. in St. Paul from 10:00 a.m. to noon. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/vegan-415/events/235882433/

Are you newly vegan, know someone who is, or looking to expand your plant-based diet? Join Megan, one of our vegan mentors, as you\'re guided on a tour of Whole Foods, 222 Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis (meet near the customer service desk). You’ll learn simple tips for reading labels, discover products you\'ve overlooked in the past, and have your questions on veganism answered. We will also discuss how to become a more environmentally friendly shopper. With help from Megan, you can make ethically sound and health-conscious choices about what you eat! RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Are you newly vegan, know someone who is, or looking to expand your plant-based diet? Join Megan, one of our vegan mentors, as you're guided on a tour of Whole Foods, 222 Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis (meet near the customer service desk). You’ll learn simple tips for reading labels, discover products you've overlooked in the past, and have your questions on veganism answered. We will also discuss how to become a more environmentally friendly shopper. With help from Megan, you can make ethically sound and health-conscious choices about what you eat! RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

The social pressures of being vegan are more pronounced during special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, religious ceremonies, and other food-based events. Sometimes there is pressure to represent veganism, but doing so positively and easily can be challenging for some, especially if it\'s your first major event as a vegan. This workshop is a place to discuss how to talk to others about why you\'re eating what you\'re eating at a significant social gathering (and decide whether you should say anything at all).
We will also review a list of common social issues specific to special occasions. Vegans often feel social pressure to represent themselves and the movement, and this workshop is a place where you can learn how to find a middle ground between representing veganism, but also not placing too much of a burden on yourself. Please feel free to bring questions and situations that you would like to discuss. Workshop is at the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

The social pressures of being vegan are more pronounced during special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, religious ceremonies, and other food-based events. Sometimes there is pressure to represent veganism, but doing so positively and easily can be challenging for some, especially if it's your first major event as a vegan. This workshop is a place to discuss how to talk to others about why you're eating what you're eating at a significant social gathering (and decide whether you should say anything at all).
We will also review a list of common social issues specific to special occasions. Vegans often feel social pressure to represent themselves and the movement, and this workshop is a place where you can learn how to find a middle ground between representing veganism, but also not placing too much of a burden on yourself. Please feel free to bring questions and situations that you would like to discuss. Workshop is at the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

We are receiving lots of fur donations for our Cuddle Coats program and want to ship them to our wildlife rehab partners as soon as possible. Meet at the ARC office (co-located with Ethique Nouveau) at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm to help prep fur coats and accessories for shipment. Wear clothes that can get a little fuzzy. This is a great, low key way to volunteer and meet some of the other people in the group while helping to save animal lives.

We are receiving lots of fur donations for our Cuddle Coats program and want to ship them to our wildlife rehab partners as soon as possible. Meet at the ARC office (co-located with Ethique Nouveau) at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm to help prep fur coats and accessories for shipment. Wear clothes that can get a little fuzzy. This is a great, low key way to volunteer and meet some of the other people in the group while helping to save animal lives.

The Animal Rights Coalition operates Ethique Nouveau; a vegan boutique, where all purchases help fund our animal advocacy programs, at 317 W. 48th St. in Minneapolis. The ARC office is located at the same address.

We won this one in Minnesota when pound seizure was banned in April of 2012!

We will continue to work to help other states end the practice of pound seizure, whereby animals in shelters can be claimed by licensed institutions for experimentation purposes.

How Can We Best Help Nonhuman Animals?

September 29th, 2016

One of the ways ARC helps animals is by empowering people with information and tools to take action for animals themselves. Join us to hear Dr. Casey Taft speak about Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy. Dr. Taft will discuss how can we as animal advocates best help nonhuman animals? Dr. Taft, Professor of Psychiatry and anti-violence expert, will apply principles and methods from the field of clinical psychology to enhance the impact of animal advocacy efforts of individuals and groups. This talk, based on his book by the same name, stems from the perspective that animal advocates are the change-makers who will help determine whether this movement succeeds or fails. Practical tips and strategies for talking to friends, family members, and others will be provided.

Feed Me Vegan Now on YouTube!

September 4th, 2016

ARC’s Feed Me Vegan, a cooking show featuring easy to moderate plant-based recipes is a hit with viewers. With Episode 8, Mistress Ginger Cooks! and Episode 9: Bodacious BBQ Foods (or Grillin’ without Killin’), recently filmed, the show features a wide variety of topics ranging from brunch to Thai food to picnic foods.

Feed Me Vegan is available in the North metro area of the Twin Cities on Northwest Community Television, channel 859, and you can now watch episodes on YouTube also. Subscribe to the Feed Me Vegan YouTube channel and watch for weekly updates as hosts Chelsea and Ryan show you how to make plant-based eating fun and delicious.

Extreme Race Day: A Trifecta of Animal Abuse

July 27th, 2016

7/28/16 Update: Many caring people wrote the lottery, explaining why the Extreme Race Day exploits animals and asking them to stop supporting it. The lottery sent the following email back saying they would no longer sponsor this event; we are excited that the lottery listened to feedback and decided to make this change. Every local victory like this helps to create a greater environment where abusing animals will no longer be considered acceptable:

“Thank you for the email about the Lottery’s sponsorship of Extreme Race Day at Canterbury Park. Your concerns about the races have been heard and discussed. The Lottery will no longer sponsor Extreme Race Day. We appreciate your feedback about the event. – Minnesota State Lottery”

Original post: The Minnesota Lottery recently sponsored “Extreme Race Day” at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota on June 16. Ads for the event read “Camel, Ostrich & Zebra Races. It’s Going to be a Real Zoo.” The MN Lottery is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Please ask the lottery on their social media sites if promoting an event that abuses animals is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. You can also email the lottery at lottery@mnlottery.com. Encourage the lottery not to sponsor any more events that abuse animals.

Become a Member of the Animal Rights Coalition!

June 21st, 2016

If you’re a member of the Animal Rights Coalition, you’ll soon be receiving your annual renewal notice in the mail or online asking you to continue supporting ARC’s successful animal advocacy programs. If you’re not a member yet, please join us by signing up here. If you’re on the fence, consider this: You care about animals. We care about animals. Let’s get together and support each other and do even more good for animals.

Because together we’re better.

Just look at everything we accomplished for animals in 2015 – and we’re continuing to build on our 30-year history of helping animals in 2016: expanding our community of animal advocates, opening minds and hearts in our community to the plight of animals, and supporting a rapidly growing network of new vegans.

ARC at Fridley Middle School

June 13th, 2016

ARC Program Director Chelsea Youngquist recently spoke to six classes at Fridley Middle School about veganism and speciesism. She reported: “The students were attentive and engaged. They asked all sorts of questions and made great connections.” ARC intern Yasmeen assisted and the students all got to sample Chao vegan cheese. Please email chelsea@animalrightscoalition.com if your school would like to schedule a speaker.

Hennepin County Medical Center: Stop Using Live Animals to Teach Human Medicine

April 26th, 2016

As part of World Week for Animals in Labs, ARC is partnering with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in asking Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to stop using live animals to teach human medicine to emergency medicine residents. HCMC is using live rabbits and sheep for procedures including making incisions into an animal’s throat to insert a breathing tube, inserting needles into the chest to remove fluid surrounding the heart, splitting open the breast bone to access the heart, and drilling holes into the skull. If the animal dies while on the operating table, the procedure continues. If the animal survives, he or she is killed following the training session. HCMC is approved to use up to 300 rabbits and sheep per year.

This animal use is at odds with current standards of practice. According to PCRM, today 88 percent of surveyed emergency medicine residency programs in the U.S (119 out of 135) use nonanimal training methods. Please take action and ask HCMC to end this educationally inferior and inhumane practice by making the switch to simulation – because Minnesota deserves better.

ARC volunteers will be leafleting at HCMC, 730 S 8th St. in Minneapolis on Thursday, April 28 during prime rush hour from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Please join us! Leaflets will be provided. If you’ve never leafleted, it’s a quick and easy way to reach a large number of people in a short time.

8th Annual Global Vegan Waffle Party

April 26th, 2016

It’s time for the 8th Annual Global Vegan Waffle Party on Saturday, May 7 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fuller Park Building at 4800 Grand Ave. in Minneapolis. Each year, the waffle party allows us to begin new conversations about where our food comes from and the effects of our food choices. It’s also a chance for ARC to say thank you to our wonderful supporters and volunteers for your dedication and hard work for animals.

Here’s how it works: the ARC staff and Board of Directors make lots of delicious vegan waffles. You come to the party with a plate to pile high with waffles and a vegan topping to share. (Some topping ideas: fresh fruit, maple syrup, chocolate chips, peanut butter, fruit sauce, Just Like Honey, coconut, vegan whipped topping). So please join us for some delicious vegan waffle fun!

8th Annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale

April 12th, 2016

***Update: Thanks to everyone who donated treats to the bake sale and all the folks who stopped by the sale! We saw lots of new visitors, gave out a ton of info about plant-based eating, and will be able to send People and Pets Together a $450 donation for their pet food shelf. People and Pets Together is Minnesota’s first fully dedicated pet food shelf and resource center, and one of the nation’s first companion animal surrender prevention programs, offering assistance to families during economic hardship to enable them to keep their companion animals.***

It’s that time of year again! The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale-Twin Cities Style is a delicious and fun way to introduce friends and family to vegan baked goods. Stop by Ethique Nouveau, 317 West 48th St. in Minneapolis from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23 and stock up on vegan goodies.

Bring a container to haul your loot home because we’ll be charging for boxes to make the event as waste-free as possible.

Please email chelsea@animalrightscoalition.com if you would like to donate baked goods. Make a list of the ingredients to display with your goodies so that allergy sufferers are well-informed. Items should be pre-wrapped or cut so that they’re easier to divvy up. You can drop off baked good donations between 12:00-12:45 a.m. on the day of the sale or between noon-6:00 p.m. the day before the sale.